Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo (2010)

Were they going for a scary sorta Vegas style harry Potter Parody here? I'm an adult, so I can't be sure---well, unless you talk to my family, co-workers, or girlfriend I'm an adult--so i can't be sure, but I think there was even a "Lord of Illusions" reference here. It's a kids film, but I'm pretty sure I was it.Anyway, the plot at heart is total Scooby Gang. The knock-off Hogwarts is fun. It's just an enjoyable film...even if it's a film that sits so odd, watching it as an adult and expecting a child's cartoon.

I have to say, this movie really surprised me. After 40 odd years of an awesome show I was wondering if they would better some of the other movies such as "Aloha Scooby Doo!". After watching it, I have to say this is up there with the best.The new animation technology used really hits you and seems to give a darker impression of everything. The plot really suits this and uses the darker effect to enhance itself. Talking about the plot, I have to say this is where I was the most surprised. In the past few years I personally feel that the plots have gotten almost a little bit desperate, as though the producers were doing anything for originality. Movies such as "Scooby Doo and the Cyber Chase" are examples of this sort of thing and generally didn't go down too well for me. However, the plot here was actually quite good. It looks like they have solved the puzzle for originality...well almost. I still have a few bones to pick. Bringing love into the plot seems just a bit over the top for me, especially with the romantic scene (naturally it is not explicit in any way).It's sad that the previous voice of Shaggy has gone but his replacement is quite good. The gang also look fantastic in their original clothing.The first scooby doo cartoon movie "Scooby Doo on Zombie Island" was quite a hit, not only in my books either. Abracadabra Doo seems like a return to the plot style and darkness of that successful movie and wins my vote as being a must watch.

Everybody's favorite canine detective is back again. The Scooby Gang still seem fresh and vibrant in their latest straight-to-DVD adventure, Scooby-Doo: Abracadabra-Doo, over 40 years after their first television appearance. The Mystery Machine is a newer model and now has a very annoying GPS, but that's about all that's changed.The script writers do seem to keep up with the times, seeing that this new adventure takes place at a magic school that is reminiscent of Harry Potter's Hogwarts. It also features a very cool gryphon that flies around snapping at everyone and causing all kinds of ruckus. The story has all the right elements you've come to expect from a Scooby-Doo movie: a big and dark house or mansion, the eccentric cast of suspects, and a creepy or foggy landscape. There's even a foreboding groundskeeper, voiced by John DiMaggio (Bender on Futurama, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Ben 10), who is constantly warning everyone of impending danger.Speaking of the cast, Matthew Lillard has picked up duties from longtime voice talent and radio DJ Kasey Kasem. Lillard does a great job, as if anyone ever had any doubt he could after playing the part in the two original live-action Scooby-Doo films. Frank Welker returns once again to voice both Scooby and Fred, thankfully. Mindy Cohn (The Facts of Life) again voices Velma. There's also some really cool guest voices, like John Stephenson (the narrator of Dragnet, Wacky Races, The Flintstones), Olivia Hack (The Brady Bunch movies, Hey Arnold! The Movie, Open Season 2), and Jeffrey Tambor (Arrested Development, The Larry Sanders Show, Hellboy 1 & 2).The animation is the same comfortable look that we've come to expect. It's pretty much the look of What's New, Scooby Doo? A mix of the classic feel of the original television show and new animation technology. Thankfully, it doesn't look like the horrific animation of Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue! I definitely enjoyed this new entry in the Scooby series. Your kids will love it and it will keep their attention. This is good and entertaining family fun.

Finally, for the first time in eight years, Warner Bros. Animation got off their backs and made a darker, more professional Scooby-Doo animated movie similar to their infamous "Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island," their excellent "Scooby-Doo and the Witch's Ghost," the not-so-great "Scooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders" and the fun "Scooby-Doo and the Cyber Chase." I have been WAITING for this ever since "Scooby-Doo and the Loch Ness Monster" came out and simply went with the "What's New Scooby-Doo" animation style.Story-wise, it is a shame they go back to fake supernatural creatures once again, after "Scooby-Doo and the Goblin King" and the "Samurai Sword" movie. But it's got plenty of suspense and jump-scenes like the original movies did, though. They also go with a somewhat original plot for once, too! The gang has already come across too many tiki monsters, mummies, pirate ghosts, snow monsters and samurai ghosts that it seemed the writers were beginning to run out of ideas. But they REALLY surprised us with this one. The inclusion of Velma having a sister was fun, as was Daphne getting jealous over Fred going gaga over the lovely female assistant. Speaking of Fred, he isn't as stupidly-portrayed as he was in the previous films, or even "A Pup Named Scooby-Doo" and "What's New, Scooby-Doo." Scooby-Doo also has quite a bit of dialogue too, and they cleverly parodied the old formula here as well (such as a danger-prone Fred, and Shaggy using ventriloquism on a wolf puppet to mimic the famous "meddling kids" line.) Voices aren't too bad either. Sure, Frank Welker's Scooby-Doo still sounds like Brain from "Inspector Gadget," but I've pretty much gotten used to it by now. As for Matthew Lillard, he's actually a pretty good Shaggy! Sure, he's not as good as Casey Kasem, but he's better than Billy West and Scott Innes, and definitely better than Scott Menville! It does sound a little strange hearing the live-action Shaggy's voice coming out of the animated Shaggy, but after a while I got used to it. He also managed to make Shaggy sound hip and young again! The sound effects are also similar to the early made-for-video Scooby-Doo movies, only limiting the classic H-B sound effects to the Scooby and Shaggy scenes or exaggerated comedy sequences. They even managed to use the classic haunted "Castle Thunder" sound as one of the magic-spell sound effects (ala "The Powerpuff Girls"), but the other thunder sounds are pretty much identical to the earlier made-for-video Scooby-Doo movies, too.The animation is also very good, too. As I mentioned, it is in a much darker style now, but the Scooby gang is drawn as how they appeared in the early 1970s, complete with wearing their original outfits! It looks much better than the "What's New Scooby-Doo"-esquire style of the past movies.Overall, this is definitely a step up from the last several Scooby-Doo movies. It seems they're finally going in the right direction. Not only that, this film didn't even end with a Hanna-Barbera logo like the others did, which is actually somewhat of a good thing because Hanna-Barbera didn't make this movie; Warner Bros. Cartoons did. Definitely recommended!